4 days ago
Mum who lost home caring for anorexic daughter hopes life-saving charity has future
"It's the centre of my life at the moment... Some people have been here for 15 years. It scares me for some of the people that might lose this support."
A mum who lost her home while caring for her anorexic daughter says a Scots charity threatened with closure is a "life saver".
Janet Kramer battled anxiety and depression after her daughter started intensive treatment for the eating disorder.
The 70-year-old credits Redhall Walled Garden in Edinburgh with helping her recover, saying it became the "centre" of her life.
But the community garden, tucked in a glen off Lanark Road, is entirely maintained by people struggling with mental illness and is now at risk of closure due to funding cuts.
Edinburgh Integrated Joint Board (EIJB) announced its intention to slash £2.2 million in funds to social care charities, meaning the garden, along with other charities in the Thrive Collective, could be hit.
Janet told Edinburgh Live: "Caring for someone who has mental illness can also affect the person who's caring. I was a mess. I went to the Carers Council for some support and they recommended Redhall.
"I can't even tell you how it's helped me, because it gave everything that I lost back to me.
"I feel safe here. It's not just gardening, because a lot of us are all in the same position. We all have mental health issues and we understand each other because we don't have to explain constantly, as you probably do to the outside world."
Janet spends three days per week with the charity, learning horticulture and helping maintain the grounds.
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She added: "I don't need anxiety medication. I don't need physical therapy. I get that here. I don't feel isolated. It dispels that feeling of being cut off from the world. That's incredibly helpful to me to be able to put my own mind to right so I can support my daughter, who is getting better, so she relies on me. It's not a guilty indulgence coming here. It's a necessity.
"It's the centre of my life at the moment, and has been for the last four years. Some people have been here for 15 years.
"It scares me for some of the people that might lose this support because it's a lifesaver, and I'm not being overdramatic."
The EIJB has proposed cancelling Redhall's contract, which would leave dozens of trainees in the lurch.
Claire Reynolds, senior service manager for the Scottish Action for Mental Health, says Redhall prevents people being sent to Edinburgh's already-overwhelmed statutory services by providing preventative mental health services.
The SAMH boss said: "[The EIJB cuts] are a radical disinvestment of community mental health services in Edinburgh. This isn't a chipping away of services, it's a complete eradication of mental health supports that people go to.
"We are very concerned about the human impact and of loss of life (this would cause) through people's mental health deteriorating to the point where they are needing hospital."
Councillor Tim Pogson, Chair of the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board said: "The IJB funds a range of non-statutory services with third sector providers, through block contracts and service level agreements.
"We are currently carrying out a review of this spend, with the aim of reducing annual spend by £2.2 million. We are taking time to consider this proposal to assess the data and evidence on the impacts of any changes, and to consider the concerns raised by providers, service users and others.
"The level of funding Edinburgh's IJB receives has not kept pace with the increased demand and cost for our services. We are also being asked to care for people with more complex needs. As a result, the EIJB has had to make cuts of around £100m over the last three years which has been very challenging.
"We recognise the contribution that our third sector providers make and the concern this may cause, however we are now in a position where unfortunately difficult decisions have to be made in order to protect the essential support we provide for some of Edinburgh's most vulnerable people.
"This review will enable us to focus scarce resources on the provision of core, statutory services which help keep the people who most need our help safe and well cared for, while allowing our partners to meet their legal duties."
"We really want the Health and Social Care Partnership to consult with the people affected by these changes instead of the radical removal of all support at the same time."
A petition has been launched by Scottish Action for Mental Health to protest services like Redhall.
